What can leaders learn from cuttlefish?

About this episode

This episode discusses the importance of authentic leadership and the cognitive overload caused by performing a borrowed version of leadership.

This episode tackles one of the quietest drains in school leadership: performing a version of yourself that isn't real. Shane introduces the cuttlefish dilemma, the pattern where leaders adapt their identity to fit a borrowed picture of what leadership is supposed to look like, and explains exactly why that performance compounds cognitive overload and leaves you running on empty by midweek. It matters now because leadership development programmes often reinforce this by handing leaders a mould to fit rather than helping them lead from what they already bring.   You'll learn why starting with your values before any strategy or change project is the move that changes everything, and how your classroom experience holds more leadership instinct than you've probably been shown how to use. Shane shares what he saw across twenty leaders in his last coaching intensive, where the shift from performing to genuinely leading as themselves produced the most significant breakthroughs of the ten weeks. If you've ever felt like the job is heavier than it should be, this episode will help you work out exactly why. Episode Partners International Curriculum Association Sisi Join Shane's…

People in this episode

Host: Shane Leaning

Topics covered

• leadership identity
• cognitive overload
• leadership development
• values-based leadership
• coaching
• educational leadership

Keywords

• cuttlefish dilemma
• leadership performance
• identity adaptation
• coaching intensive
• leadership instinct
• values
• strategy

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: International Curriculum Association, Sisi

Books & works: Change Starts Here

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